


The Good Drabbles

by Eienvine



Category: The Good Cop (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 14:23:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16477226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eienvine/pseuds/Eienvine
Summary: One drabble per episode, showing season 1—and TJ Caruso—through the eyes of Cora Vasquez.





	The Good Drabbles

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who've been subjected to my novel-length argument that the episodes aren't in chronological order, that doesn't apply here; I wrote this before I noticed all the discrepancies. :)
> 
> This is old-school drabble rules: exactly one hundred words per story. Enjoy!

. . . . . .

**Who Framed the Good Cop?**

Okay, so maybe she lied a little. She doesn’t feel bad about it, though; they were in the middle of a situation, and besides, she’s not Caruso. She’s very comfortable lying when circumstances call for it.

Her lie was this: when Caruso called and said he wanted to see her, she did think, just for a second, that it was a date.

And if someone asked whether she was pleased, just a little, at the thought of the NYPD’s resident choir boy asking her out . . . well, she’d have to lie again. That’s a truth she’d be too embarrassed to admit.

. . . . .

**What is the Supermodel’s Secret?**

Okay, so maybe her behavior at the victim’s office wasn’t terribly professional. It’s just so easy to fluster Caruso. And so fun.

Part of her’s irritated at him; it’s none of his business what she does in her free time. But part of her’s pleased he wants people to respect her.

And a tiny part of her wonders if it’s his prudishness coming through, or if it’s . . . jealousy.

Doesn’t matter. Caruso _could_ be involved in her personal life—possibly, someday—but he’s never tried. He’s never even asked her out.

So she’s well within her rights to keep flustering him.

. . . . . .

**Who Is the Ugly German Lady?**

Okay, so she’s irritated at Caruso. If he’d just told her about investigating the husband, he wouldn’t have nearly died.

But she understands why he’s accustomed to working alone; she knows other cops don’t like dealing with the Boy Scout. She knows he doesn’t have many friends.

And she knows it’s been years since he’s had family he can rely on. (Sometimes she thinks of him going through his mom’s death alone, with Tony incarcerated, and her heart hurts.)

So yeah, she gets it. She just wishes he’d see she’s here for him. She wishes he would rely on her.

. . . . . .

**Will the Good Cop Bowl 300?**

Okay, so maybe she was wrong about Caruso.

He drives her crazy, with his pathological righteousness. But that same innate decency and morality has always earned her admiration, and as a woman who’s known many crappy men, she’s always appreciated his kindness and humility. He’s the last honest man, and that’s always given her hope for humanity at large (and males in particular).

But it looks like he’s just like every other guy after all; looks like he’s only humble when he has nothing to brag about.

She doesn’t let herself think too hard about why that hurts so much.

. . . . . .

**Will Big Tony Roll Over?**

Okay, so maybe it’s very deliberate that she tells Caruso she’s seeing Brian tonight. Maybe she wants to see how he’ll react.

It’s just . . . sometimes she wonders, you know? Sometimes he’s protective of her in a way that doesn’t feel strictly professional; sometimes she’ll glance at him and catch the tail end of a capital-L _Look_. But other times . . .

(Sometimes she wonders what she’d do, if she caught him in a _Look_ and instead of turning away, he moved closer, reached out—)

“I’m glad you’re seeing him tonight. Wear a helmet.”

. . . yeah, not really sure what to make of that.

. . . . . .

**Did the TV Star Do It?**

Okay, so maybe Caruso’s a better detective than her. And a better person.

Because he was right; he saw what nobody else did, blinded as they were by Richie’s charm. He doesn’t resent that, and he isn’t bragging about seeing through Richie’s act.

He’s not even irritated with his dad—despite the way Tony Sr. messed up the investigation, here’s Tony Jr. happily accompanying him on the piano, and she can’t help admiring his graciousness.

(Also, where did he learn to play the piano so well?)

(Also, she’s determinedly ignoring the fact that she’s always had a thing for musicians.)

. . . . . .

**Who Killed the Guy on the Ski Lift?**

Okay, so maybe it feels weird to catch Caruso in a tender moment with Macy.

It’s just that he hasn’t had a girlfriend since she’s known him, or even been on a date. And she supposes she doesn’t always think of him as, you know, a _man_. Boy Scouts don’t date, right? They just . . . help old ladies?

But she means it when she says she’s glad he met someone. Of course that woman is probably a murderer, but still, he _should_ find someone, and she’s glad for him.

Even if watching him interact so tenderly with another woman feels . . . weird.

. . . . . .

**Will Cora Get Married?**

Okay, so is it crazy that the worst part about her husband trying to kill her is the embarrassment?

Embarrassment that she, a detective, fell for his act and rushed into the worst-advised wedding of the century.

Embarrassment at the horrible things she said to Caruso, when all he did was see the truth before anyone else.

But when he rushes into her hospital room, he doesn't look angry, or boastful. He approaches her, eyes full of concern, and puts one hand gently on her arm.

“Are you hurt?”

And for the first time since everything went down, she cries.

. . . . . .

**Why Kill a Busboy?**

Okay, so things with Caruso are back to normal, and it’s kind of weirding her out.

She’s thrilled, obviously, that her awful behavior over Warren didn’t ruin their friendship. But still, she thought things would be different. Especially now she sort of basically has confirmation that Caruso has feelings for her, maybe.

But no, she’s teasing him about swampmates, he’s pulling rank and ordering her not to smile, and everything is so . . . normal, like nothing happened. And she’s starting to wonder if she and Warren were wrong about Caruso’s feelings for her.

Which would be fine, obviously.

It’s fine.

Obviously.

. . . . . .

**Who Cut Mrs. Akroyd in Half?**

Okay, so maybe pretending to be married to TJ isn’t so bad. Or at least falling asleep next to him isn’t, and for the moment she forgets she’s mad at him.

The guys she dates aren’t usually up for quiet nights in and falling asleep in front of the TV, so this feels new, but . . . nice. The bed is comfortable, the temperature is just right, and the night is quiet other than the low hum of the TV and TJ’s voice, soothing and familiar and comforting.

Her last thought before falling asleep is that she could get used to this.

. . . . . .

fin


End file.
